The Washington City Council should begin calling a banquet room at Five Points Washington home starting Nov. 4.
Several proposed changes to the city's use agreement with Five Points allow the council to use Banquet Room A for its meetings at no charge and have technology installed there at the city's expense so meetings can be professionally televised and videotaped.
The council has held most of its meetings in the training room at the Washington Fire Station the past few years. Hearing what's being said at the council table there is sometimes problematical and residents have complained that meeting videos recorded on Zoom are difficult to hear.
A first reading of the revised use agreement, negotiated by former Washington City Administrator Jim Snider and Five Points officials, was held Monday during a council meeting. A second reading and vote will be held Oct. 21.
According to the revised use agreement, Five Points is allowing the city to schedule council meetings and make physical changes in one of Five Points' revenue-producing facilities in exchange for the city's cancellation earlier this year of $600,000 that Five Points owes the city in annual payments over the next eight years.
Those payments won't need to be made as long as revenue from a .25% sales tax the city imposed several years ago covers the money the city owes each year on a $5 million construction bond for Five Points.
The sales tax has produced more than the needed revenue for many years.
Mayor Gary Manier said Five Points can rent Banquet Room A on a council meeting night.
"We can't cripple their ability to bring in revenue," he said.
The council will meet in the fire station training room if it can't use the Five Points banquet room, Manier said.
"The city owns the fire station," he said.
The council meets on the first and third Mondays of the month and holds a committee of the whole meeting on the second Monday of the month.
Planning and Zoning and Historical Preservation Commission meetings also are covered by the revised use agreement, as is the city's annual wellness health fair for employees.
The revised use agreement continues through April 30, 2031, and can be extended for up to two additional 10-year terms.
City approves payment to Washington Historical Society for headquarters building work
Also Monday, the council unanimously approved:
- The city's reimbursement of $27,721 to the Washington Historical Society for improvements needed at the society's headquarters building at 128 Washington Square because of the construction of the two-story restaurant on the downtown square. The historical society continues to seek reimbursement from CL Red, the project developer, for thousands of dollars of other damages done to its building during construction.
- Spending $15,000 for the city to be a platinum level sponsor once again for the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions basketball competition at Washington Community High School.
- A contract with Tazewell County to provide animal and rabies control services in 2025 for $18,520. The county is phasing in a 14.11% increase in the cost for those services to Washington over four years. Next year will be the second of the four years. The increase amount was based on call volume and animals housed.
Here are highlights from other staff reports to the council:
- West Jefferson Street will be closed between North Main Street and the railroad tracks beginning Monday for water main work.
- Construction of the second floor of the downtown square restaurant is nearly complete. Communications continue to facilitate the construction of a new fire escape by restaurant contractors at the rear of a neighboring building at 114 Walnut St.
- Newly promoted police sergeants Dan Foster and Ron Moore were sworn in.
